Improvement in mailing-packages



H. G. PEARSON. Mailing Package.

' Patented Sept". 10, 1878 UNITED STATES HENRY e. rnnnsoiv,

ATENT OFFICE.

OF NEW YORK, N.

IMPROVEMENT IN MAILING-PACKAGES.v

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 207,979, dated September 10, 1878 application filed July 26, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, H. G. PEARSON, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Postal Envelopes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to certain improvements in postal envelopes for merchandise; and the invention consists in a metallic covering for inclosing mail matter liable, when liberated, to deface or destroy other mail matter, or injure the person handling it, which will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and I use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view with the envelope closed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of top and bottom, also showing the top of the envelope elevated. Fig. 3 is a view with the top of the envelope removed and the bag open. Fig. 4 is a section through the envelope and its fastening-finger. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the envelope; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view, showing the fastening-finger bent under the envelope, as in securing the top in place.

Certain classes of merchandise are refused by the Post-Office Department transmission in the mails, under the general law excluding matter liable to deface or destroy the contents of the mail-bags or injure the person of any one connected with the service.

The object of my invention is to produce an envelope in which dealers may forward to customers samples of pens, nails, and-other small sharp-pointed instruments, and drugs, flour, sugar, and other powdered or pulverized matter; also, resins, pitch, and analogous matter,

110w excluded by law.

To enjoy the low rate of postage, that the greatest degree of economy may be attained, one of the essential conditions to comply with is that the packet must be so constructed and fastened that it may be readily opened and thoroughly examined by postmasters without to custom er with safety, and at the same time al low postmasters to examine the contents thereof, without destroying the same, at pleasure.

In the drawing, A denotes a metallic envelope, which may be constructed in any suitable manner and formed in any shape desired, to receive such merchandise as is now excluded from the mail.

In order to illustrate my invention, I have shown around box having the flange B of the top 0 formed with a finger, D. This flange B is also formed on its inside with one or more inverted L-shaped grooves, E, to receive suitably-arranged lugs F, formed at the upper edge of the flange G of the bottom H of the box. The bottom of the box is provided, at or near one edge, with a concave countersink or recess, I. (Shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 of drawing.) A bag, I, made of paper or other suitable material, may be secured in the bottom of the box, into which is placed any fine matter, such as samples of flour, sugar, or drugs, that may be desired to forward through the mails.

The top of the box is secured in place by bending the finger under the bottom and pressing it up into the recess on the bottom of the envelope, as plainly shown in Fig. 4 of draw ing. Before pressing the finger up into the recess on the under side of the bottom of the envelope the top of the envelope is twisted until the lugs on the flange of the bottom of the envelope pass up and back into the horizontal part of the groove on the inside of the flange of the top of the envelope.

Envelopes too small to have a blank for address and postage-stamp pasted on them may be provided with a small wire loop for attaching a tag, upon which the address may be written.

Envelopes of some shapes may be constructed without the finger; but I prefer to use the finger, as it adds additional strength and insures the top in place; or they may be constructed without lugs and grooves, relying upon a finger or fingers alone for fastening.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by In testimony that I claim the foregoing as Letters Patent, ismy own I aflix my signature in presence of 1. An envelope, A, having the top 0 formed two witnesses. with a secui'in "-fiI16I' D and the bottom H w provided with a czuiitersink or recess, I, as HENBY (L S set forth. Witnesses:

2. The envelope A, provided with a finger, CHARLES F. JAMES,

D, recess I, grooves E, and lugs I, as set forth. LEWIs SUSSMAN. 

